Responsibility
by BitterEloquence
Summary: Ani: It is so easy to shift the blame away from yourself and in the wake of Elita 1's 'death', Optimus and Sentinel Prime find themselves standing on opposite sides of a conflict that threatens to ruin their friendship forever.


Notes: This is my first Animatedi fic so just bear with me please. Thanks to my wonderful beta yankeesailor for being so patient with me. (And dealing with my insecurity about writing this fic) Even when I send her a fic at seven in the morning when I'm too groggy to realize my own mistakes! XP

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within, nor am I making any money off of this story. All I own are the twisted ideas floating around in my head.

* * *

_Responsibility: A detachable burden easily shifted to the shoulders of God, Fate, Fortune, Luck or one's neighbor. In the days of astrology it was customary to unload it upon a star._

--Ambrose Bierce

* * *

Waiting was the worst part. The uncertain fear and realization that your life, your _future_, was being discussed less than ten yards away was enough to drive even the most patient of 'bots mad with anxiety. Sentinel had stopped talking to him breems ago and nothing Optimus said could get a response from his friend.

Optimus knew Sentinel blamed him for Elita 1's death and the cold spark of accusation in his optics had not escaped the red and blue mech. Elita had been a friend and more to the both of them. For as long as Optimus could remember, he and Sentinel had vied and competed with one another for Elita 1's attention. Both mechs had thought themselves half in love with the femme and each felt her loss acutely.

The last words Sentinel had spoken to him when they'd boarded the transport ship had been in anger, and even now they resonated in the younger 'bot's cerebral cortex. Doubt nagged at the back of his mind and Optimus swore to himself that he'd find some way to make Sentinel listen. His list of friends was rapidly growing slim and by the time the doors to Ultra Magnus's office opened, Optimus's mind was made up.

He stood and squared his shoulders like a soldier walking off to meet the firing squad. Behind him, he could hear Sentinel following him at a much less steady pace. His bravado and resolution aside, Optimus felt his spark stutter in his chest when he found himself pinned by the long-assessing stare in Ultra Magnus' s optics. The supreme commander eyed the two Primes with an unreadable expression. That expression was shared by the two other members of the tribunal and they gave nothing away as Optimus and Sentinel saluted sharply.

"You both know why we're here so I won't waste this council's time with restating the facts once more. Do you have anything to say for yourselves before this tribunal deliberates?" Ultra Magnus rumbled. He had the unique ability to make Optimus feel like he was two inches tall and the younger mech quelled beneath his leader's gaze. Optimus wanted to be anywhere but in this room but he had a job to do and he slowly forced himself to raise his gaze to meet Magnus's. "Sir, I do."

Beside him, Sentinel visibly stiffened and shot a venomous glare at his former friend. '_Traitor_,' the accusation was evident and bitter in Sentinel's optics. A challenge glared there too, unspoken but filling the air between them until it crackled with energy. '_Go ahead, cover your own aft, you coward,' _the blue and white mech seemed to be saying with that disgusted glare.

"Speak." Ultra Magnus had not missed the silent contest of wills that passed between them.

"It was all my fault, sirs." Optimus stated softly. He was surprised his vocalizer did not waver as he forced those words out. There was a long, still pause as the three judges all froze.

"What are you saying, Optimus Prime? I would urge you to be very clear and speak plainly," the tribunal judge sitting to Magnus's left warned quietly.

"It's my fault, sirs, I was the one who told Sentinel Prime and Elita 1 to go down to that planet. It was my idea to explore the caves and it's my fault Elita 1 lost her life."

Sentinel was just staring at Optimus aghast. He had expected his former friend to cover his own aft. It had been what Sentinel was planning on doing. After all, it _was _Optimus's fault they'd lost Elita. But it had been Sentinel's idea to ignore orders and it had been his stupidity that lead them into the organic's trap. But now Optimus was shouldering all the blame, he was _lying_ to protect **Sentinel!**

"I see," Ultra Magnus's lip components tightened into a thin, grim line. Something frosty and disapproving glowed in his optics as he turned them to look at Sentinel. "Is this accounting true, Sentinel Prime?"

"I... uh..." Flummoxed, Sentinel could only flounder for a moment. His self-righteous anger warred with a whisper of guilt and fear of discovery. If he agreed to Optimus's lies and the tribunal found out then he'd be thoroughly fragged. But if he told the truth then it would go on his permanent record that he'd been the one who ordered the ill-conceived mission that resulted in the loss of their teammate.

"Well?" There was a trace of impatience in Magnus's voice. Sentinel glanced over at Optimus and found him staring at him with an unreadable look on his face.

"Yes sirs, that's about the whole of it." Saying those words left a bitter taste in his mouth, as if he'd imbibed sour energon.

Ultra Magnus glowered at him for an uncomfortable moment and Sentinel thought he'd chosen wrong and that his leader was about to come down on him like a ton of bricks. Instead, Ultra Magnus cleared his vocalizer stiffly and glanced to the two other tribunal judges. "Very well, Optimus, this tribunal finds you guilty of gross negligence and willful disobedience of a direct order which lead to the death of your squad-mate. We have no recourse but to relieve you of your duties. You'll be reassigned to a non-combat position until such a time as you can prove yourself worthy of the rank of Prime."

"Yes, sir." Optimus shuttered his optics as pain coursed through him. It was the end of his career. With this on his record, no squad would ever want him on their team and he'd probably never see a command position ever again.

"Very well, be prepared to ship out by 1700 hours. There is a transport ship heading out tonight and you'll be on it. Sentinel Prime, you might not have had a direct hand in the death of Elita 1 but you should have stopped your squad-mates from engaging in such reckless behavior. This will be going on your permanent record."

"Yes, sir." Sentinel wasn't stupid enough to complain. All things considered he and Optimus were both getting off lightly. Ultra Magnus and the tribunal were well within their rights to throw the figurative book at them. They could have drummed them out of the Elite Guard completely, stripped them both of their rank and or thrown them in the stockade for a vorn or two.

Optimus getting exiled and Sentinel getting a note on his record was little more than a harsh slap on the wrist.

"Dismissed."

"Sir!" Both soldiers saluted crisply and marched out in sync. Sentinel waited until they'd left the office and were around the corner before he turned on Optimus with a snarl. He shoved the smaller mech against the wall and growled angrily at him.

"What the _frag_ was that slag, huh!?" he demanded.

Optimus didn't shove him away or try to defend himself. "It's like you said, it was my fault. I'm just trying to make things right, Sentinel." There was a tortured look in Optimus's optics when he finally dared to meet his friend's.

"I don't **need** you to protect me!" He shoved Optimus again and metal squealed against metal as the other Prime's body buckled the wall.

"Then what _DO_ you want from me, Sentine!?" Finally losing his temper, Optimus broke Sentinel's grip with a move straight out of the basic combat manual.

"I want you gone! I never want to see you again, you slagheap!"

"Well. you're getting your wish." Those bitter words seemed to strike deeper than anything Optimus had said thus far and Sentinel recoiled with a sickened expression.

"Good, it can't be too soon." He didn't know why he said that. There was just so much anger and confused resentment inside him that he couldn't seem to help himself.

Optimus gritted his dental plates in frustration and stared at his former best friend. They had been closer than friends, more than brothers and now it seemed their bonds of affection were strained beyond all possible chance of repair. And it just make Optimus sick at the spark to look at the ruins of their friendship. "Fine," he stated tersely. "I'm gone."

And with that, he pushed away from Sentinel and stalked down the hallway. His former friend watched him with the dying embers of self-righteous anger glittering in his optics.

Sentinel was not proud of what had happened today and he clung to his anger like a Sparkling clung to a favorite toy. It was all he had left now. But that bitter taste of victory left a sour taste in his mouth and left Sentinel feeling unsatisfied.

It was a cold victory.


End file.
